"Publishers, media companies and application developers are eager to know whether they should optimize their content for particular devices. Advertisers want to understand how these devices might eventually fit into their overall marketing plans. Carriers want to know how to evolve their business models in a multi-connection world. And device manufacturers need to understand how consumers are using connected devices so they can improve their products, fine-tune their marketing and win the battle for market share,” according to Nielsen.

Based on its Connected Devices Playbook (not to be confused with the new BlackBerry PlayBook!) surveys of more than 5,000 smart device owners, Nielsen found that 45% of Kindle owners make more than $80,000 per year vs. 39% of iPad owners and $37% of iPhone owners (Kindles are selling on Amazon for between $139 and $379, while the iPad starts at $499 and the iPhone 4 at $199). Kindle owners also are more educated, with 27% having Master's degrees or doctorates, according to Nielsen.

Of course iPad owners might get there some day, as Nielsen shows they tend to be younger, with 63% of them being under the age of 35 vs. 47% of Kindle owners falling into that age range. About 65% of iPad owners are male. The only device included in the survey that showed as much as 50% ownership by females was Acer's Aspire One netbook.

When it comes to advertising receptivity among device owners, Nielsen found that iPad owners are most accommodating. Nearly 40% of the 400 iPad owners surveyed said they find the ads new and interesting, and that's about double the percentage among other device owners. Close to half of iPad owners said they like ads with interactive features. Only 8% of iPad owners said they have made a purchase via the tablet in response to advertising, but that's better than the 5% who said they did from other connected devices.